Quite possibly the most popular character in Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead, Michonne has finally been cast for season three of AMC's acclaimed TV adaptation series.

The last Zombie of the Week in February went to the casting of David Morrisey as The Governor in season three of AMC's The Walking Dead. This week, the casting of the other much-anticipated role in the critically acclaimed comic series has been announced. Michonne, the kick-ass katana-wielding heroine will rise to take the fight to The Governor in season three as actress Danai Gurira take on the much-coveted role.

Spoiler Alert!

For those missed out on the season finale of The Walking Dead, please stop right here. As we are bring you the stunning first appearance of Michonne as she rescue Andrew, complete with her travelling companions (two armless, jawless zombies whose identities I shall not revealed).



Hit the jump to check out the full press release from AMC:

New York, NY – March 18, 2011 – AMC has cast actress Danai Gurira (Treme/The Visitor) in the coveted role of Michonne in its original series, “The Walking Dead.” Tonight’s season two finale first featured the iconic character who will reappear in season three of the AMC series. Michonne, a fan favorite from Robert Kirkman’s comic book series, is a mysterious woman armed with a sword.

“The Walking Dead” tells the story of the months and years after a zombie apocalypse, following a group of survivors who travel in search of a safe and secure home. The series goes on to explore the challenges of life in a world overrun by walkers, where the interpersonal conflicts often present a greater danger than anything else and over time, the characters grow willing to do almost anything to survive.

“The Walking Dead” received rave reviews from countless critics, both domestically and internationally. “Above all else, “The Walking Dead” hasn’t lost the most important ingredient in its strangely successful recipe: it’s thrilling” (The Hollywood Reporter). “…with Dead’s riveting cast of characters, the personal dynamics are almost as potent as the gory thrills” (US Weekly). “The Walking Dead is a feast. Dig in.”(The Guardian- UK). “It doesn’t even take three minutes to realize that this series is setting standards” (Der Tagesspiegel-Germany).

“The Walking Dead” secured a 2010 Golden Globe nomination for best television series and won the 2011 Emmy award for outstanding prosthetic make-up. It is executive produced by Glen Mazzara, Gale Anne Hurd, Robert Kirkman and Dave Alpert.

For those who wants to know more about the mysterious warrior, you can check out "Michonne's Story" in the April 2012 issue of Playboy. Brought to you by series co-creators Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard, the six-page story tells the tale of Michonne back when she was a lawyer before the Zombie Apocalypse struck.

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, here's the first two pages of the short story to aid you in the hard decision of purchasing a dirty magazine.